You should never punish submissive urination-- it will only make it problem worse. It is important to remember that your reaction and body language to the problem can intensify it, so be sure not to cause fear or anxiety for your dog.

Dogs read body language extremely well and we, as owners, sometimes give off the incorrect signals, resulting in the dog offering submissive gestures such as urination. Fear, lack of confidence, confusion, nervousness, and sensitivity can result in submissive urination in older dogs.

Submissive urination is a dog's unmanageable, instinctive reaction to the presence of another dog or human that they feel is superior or is intimidating to them. It can often be a reaction to a specific action such as putting a leash on the dog or simply leaning down to stroke him.

There are many things we can do to minimize submissive urination. When perturbed or excited, the main training goal is to build trust and to redirect the dog's mind to other actions than urinating.

Here are 16 tips to help:

Take him out regularly to do his business so his bladder will not build up pressure.

When entering a room, do not go straight to his crate. Allow him to calm down first, before letting him out.

Avoid situations and people that you can not control until your dog is learning to control himself and gain confidence.

Do basic obedience training. Make it fun and confidence building.

When you go to the crate to let him out do so quietly. Don't talk to him.

Get him outside and then clean up without him seeing you do this if he urinates don't say anything.

When out in the yard, do not call him up to you but walk slowly around with him. When he does, give him an order to urinate and praise him calmly using voice only.

Do everything slowly and work at making your body language calm and unconcerned. Keep verbal volume low.

When you can not supervise, use a crate. Put his crate near a door allowing him to get outside quickly, potentially avoiding an accident.

Dogs read body language extremely well and we, as owners, sometimes give off the incorrect signals, resulting in the dog offering submissive gestures such as urination. Fear, lack of confidence, sensitivity, nervousness, and confusion can result in submissive urination in older dogs. Don't attempt to reassure your dog or reinforce his actions.

Tell us in what situations your dog has displayed submissive urination.

Familiarize him gradually in small stages with noises, people, and other dogs. Don't rush him into experiences and situations. Build up gradually.

Be non-threatening. Don't stare at him or show displeasure no matter how you feel. Spend time sitting with him by your side on a leash.

Take him for walks where he can gradually be exposed to the situations that trigger his urination.

Ask friends to practice no touch, no talk, no eye contact around him.

Submissive urination can be annoying, but exhibiting your frustration to your dog only makes it worse. With a little planning and adjusting your attitude, you can overcome the problem and minimize.

Passive urination is a dog's uncontrollable, instinctive reaction to the presence of another dog or human that they feel is superior or is intimidating to them. It can often be a reaction to a specific action such as putting a leash on the dog or simply leaning down to stroke him.